Ceiling Collapse Verdict: $175K Award in Miami Landlord Case
Table of Contents
Case Background
A Miami couple won a substantial jury verdict after a ceiling collapsed on the wife while she slept in her apartment. The case was heard in the Circuit Court of the Eleventh Judicial Circuit in and for Miami-Dade County, Florida, under Case Number 2024-015936-CA-01. Raquel Recio de Roman and her husband Cesar Roman sued their landlord, Little Havana Equities, LLC, claiming the property owner failed to maintain the structural elements of their rental unit. The jury returned its verdict on June 11, 2025, awarding the couple a combined total of $175,000 in damages.
Cause
The incident occurred on June 29, 2024, at a residential apartment complex located at 1028 SW 3rd Street, Miami, Florida 33130. Mrs. Roman was a tenant residing in Unit 33 of the property owned and operated by Little Havana Equities, LLC. According to the complaint filed on August 21, 2024, Mrs. Roman was asleep in her residence when the ceiling above her suddenly collapsed and fell on top of her. The plaintiffs alleged that the ceiling was in a hazardous condition and that the property owner knew or should have known about the structural problems but failed to address them.
Injury
Mrs. Roman sustained serious and permanent injuries when the ceiling crashed down on her while she was sleeping. The complaint detailed that she suffered grievous bodily harm, permanent injury, and aggravation of preexisting conditions. She experienced significant pain and suffering along with physical impairment and disability. The incident left her with scarring and disfigurement. Mrs. Roman also reported mental anguish stemming from the traumatic experience of being struck by a collapsing ceiling in her own bed. She required medical treatment and hospitalization, incurred medical expenses, lost earnings, and suffered a diminished capacity to enjoy life. Her husband, Cesar Roman, also suffered harm as a result of the incident. He lost the companionship, affection, services, comfort, and support of his wife due to her injuries.
Damages Sought
The plaintiffs sought damages exceeding fifty thousand dollars for each named plaintiff, exclusive of interest, costs, and attorneys' fees. Mrs. Roman demanded compensation for her medical expenses, pain and suffering, disability, disfigurement, mental anguish, and loss of enjoyment of life. Mr. Roman separately sought damages for loss of consortium, claiming the accident deprived him of his wife's companionship and care. Both plaintiffs requested a jury trial on all triable issues.
Key Arguments and Proceedings
Legal Representation
Plaintiffs: Raquel Recio de Roman | Cesar Roman
· Counsel for Plaintiffs: Andrea C. Abad | Hugo L. Garcia, ESQ
Defendant: Little Havana Equities, LLC
· Counsel for Defendant: Phillip J. Sheehe | Johanna E. Sheehe
Claims
Negligence Claim
Mrs. Roman brought a negligence claim against the property owner. She argued that Little Havana Equities, LLC owned, operated, and controlled the apartment complex and therefore owed her a duty to maintain the property and its structural elements in a reasonably safe manner. The complaint alleged the defendant breached this duty in several ways. The property owner created and permitted dangerous and unsafe conditions by allowing the ceiling to become structurally compromised. The defendant failed to reasonably maintain and operate the structural elements of the building. The landlord failed to keep the premises free of unstable and dangerous conditions. The property owner failed to establish proper procedures to identify hazardous conditions and failed to inspect the premises for such dangers. The complaint also alleged the defendant failed to adequately warn tenants about the unsafe conditions. Mrs. Roman maintained that the defendant knew or should have known about these dangerous conditions.
Loss of Consortium Claim
Mr. Roman brought a separate claim for loss of consortium against the defendant. He alleged that as a direct result of the negligence that injured his wife, he incurred medical expenses for her care and treatment. He suffered indirect economic losses and experienced a diminishment of her companionship, consortium, and the care and comfort of her society. He claimed these injuries were permanent and continuing in nature and that he would suffer such losses into the future.
Defense
Little Havana Equities, LLC filed its answer and affirmative defenses on December 1, 2025. The defendant admitted it owned and operated the apartment complex at the location in question and confirmed that Mrs. Roman was a tenant in Unit 33. However, the defendant denied that any hazardous condition existed in the ceiling of the unit. The defense denied all allegations of negligence and denied that the plaintiffs were entitled to any damages. The defendant raised seven affirmative defenses. First, the defense argued comparative negligence, claiming Mrs. Roman's own acts or negligence caused or contributed to her injuries. Second, the defendant contended that any damages were caused solely by third parties, persons, forces, or instrumentalities outside its control. Third, the defense alleged intervening actions or negligence of third parties caused the injuries. Fourth, the defendant claimed entitlement to setoffs under Florida Statutes Section 768.76 for collateral source payments. Fifth, the defense invoked Florida Statutes Section 768.81 regarding apportionment of damages. Sixth, the defendant argued the plaintiff failed to mitigate her damages. Seventh, the defense claimed the incident was caused by an Act of God that could neither be foreseen nor prevented.
Jury Verdict
The jury returned its verdict on June 11, 2025, ruling in favor of the plaintiffs, Raquel Recio de Roman and Cesar Roman.
The jury awarded Mrs. Roman $20,000 for medical expenses incurred in the past. For pain and suffering, disability, physical impairment, disfigurement, mental anguish, inconvenience, aggravation of disease or physical defect, and loss of capacity for the enjoyment of life sustained in the past and to be sustained in the future, the jury awarded Mrs. Roman $130,000. The total damages awarded to Raquel Recio de Roman amounted to $150,000.
The jury also awarded Cesar Roman $25,000 for his loss of consortium claim, compensating him for the loss of companionship, affection, services, comfort, and support he experienced as a result of his wife's injuries.
The combined total verdict for both plaintiffs reached $175,000. The jury foreperson, Melanie Borrego, signed the verdict form on June 11, 2025. The verdict represented a significant victory for the tenants, holding the landlord accountable for failing to maintain safe living conditions in the apartment. The jury rejected the defense arguments that third parties, Acts of God, or the plaintiff's own conduct caused or contributed to her injuries.